CULTURE, SPACE AND THE NATION-STATE : From Sentiment to Structure

This unusual book is about extending the concerns of anthropology beyond village life, rituals and caste observances to considerations of the nation-state. The analytical framework employed for this is the concept of culture.The nation-state is an important cultural phenomenon that should not only be seen as lineaments on a map. The author contends that culture and space are integrally linked. He argues that nation is primarily sentiment on which the structures of the state aspire to organize a collective life.With interesting examples from practical everyday life, this book is significant for its interpretation of governance, citizenship and fraternity, and for its recognition that ostensibly polical institutions have in fact deep cultural roots.